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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Containing Ebola in the U.S.; American Teen Tries to Join ISIS; Battle for Kobani Grows Desperate; Same-Sex Marriage Legalized in 5 States; Hong Kong Protesters, Officials Will Keep Talking

Aired October 07, 2014 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The jump in revenue means the NBA can raise its salary cap for players. James becomes a free agent when the higher cap takes effect. Meaning, he could pull in even more than $21 million he'll make in the next two years.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: He makes way more money off of the sponsorships and like anyway. He took a pay cut, remember, when he went to Miami.

ROMANS: That's right.

BERMAN: EARLY START continues right now.

(MUSIC)

ROMANS: A race against time. This morning, the Ebola patient in Dallas under going experimental treatment as his condition remains critical.

And a new Ebola case discovered in Spain that has officials puzzled. What the government may do to contain the virus and to contain the fear of the American people.

BERMAN: Terror in the homeland. An American teen charged with trying to join ISIS. The details of his plans revealed.

Also, intense new fighting gripping the streets of one city as ISIS continues to push for control over a key area. What is at stake in the major land grab? We're live on the ground.

ROMANS: And the Supreme Court makes an unexpected decision by deciding not to weigh in on same-sex marriage cases. That could clear the path for gay and lesbian couples to marry across the nation.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BERMAN: Great to see you today. I'm John Berman. It is Tuesday, October 7th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East.

And there is a ray of hope this morning for the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. While in Spain, a nurse who treated an Ebola victim and was in the room with him just twice, has tested positive for Ebola. She is now listed in stable condition. So back here in the United States, officials are struggling to contain

both the virus and the public fear over its spread, and the fallout from the response that was uneven to put it nicely.

While Thomas Eric Duncan is treated in a Dallas hospital, the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, says there is so much state government can do. Governor Perry is calling for the federal government to increase border screening and quarantine.

Duncan is still in critical condition, but he is now getting an experimental treatment that doctors hope might save his life.

CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is in Dallas with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: John, Christine, a nurse's assistant in Spain has become the first person to contract Ebola outside of West Africa in this outbreak. Now, the authorities, she was using full protective equipment. So, it's not clear how she came down with the virus.

Back in the United States, President Obama held important meetings with top public health officials, calling for additional screening measures in the U.S. and abroad at airports. He repeated that the chances of an epidemic here in the United States are extremely low.

Here in Dallas, authorities are monitoring 48 people who had contact with Thomas Eric Duncan. Seven of them are hospital workers. You had relatively high risk contacts with him, as well as three family members who had high risk contacts, and 38 others like people who live in his apartment complex who had lower risk contact.

And at Presbyterian hospital in Dallas, we've learned that Duncan has been receiving an experimental medication called Brincidofovir. It's been used for other viruses. They hope that it will work against Ebola by going in and actually stopping it from replicating inside his body.

But Duncan was sick for 10 days before he got started on this drug, so it's not clear that it will work -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you for that, Elizabeth.

As campaign season enters the final month, the administration is under pressure to show it has Ebola under control, with among other things, the kind of tougher screening measures that Governor Perry, Rick Perry, is calling for.

CNN's Michelle Kosinski is at the White House with that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John and Christine.

The president met with his national security team, including the secretary of defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. They say they are treating this as a top national security priority. What they wanted to do was look at the measures in place not only for stopping the spread of Ebola in West Africa, but preventing it from taking hold here and see if there's anything additional that needs to be done. Also, of course, they wanted to reassure the American public.

Here is what some of what President Obama said.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The good news is it's not an airborne disease. We are familiar with the protocols that are needed to isolate and greatly reduce the risks of anybody catching this disease. But it requires us to follow those protocols strictly. And that's exactly what we are in the process of doing.

KOSINSKI: Still, we know they are considering additional screening of people as they arrive into the United States.

Now, the administration has already expanded screenings of people within Ebola-affected countries, as they get on planes bound for here. And that includes asking them question, taking their temperatures. The administration says that's already prevented dozens and dozens of people from getting on planes and landing in the United States when they were judged to be possibly at risk.

The problem, of course, with screenings is, it assumes people are telling the truth and that they're showing symptoms. It doesn't account for the people who come here and then exhibit symptoms, and that's exactly what we saw happened with the Dallas case.

We asked that question of the administration, you know, that seems like a risk that this country is willing to take, right?

Well, they said, look, tens of thousands of people have arrived in America from African countries over last six months. There has only been one case of Ebola diagnosed within the United States. They feel like even though there were missteps in Dallas, the American system and the measures that are there are working. They say working well.

They also point to the capability of the American medical system. And that's one reason why they say they are not considering a travel ban to or from those countries, at least not right now -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Our thanks to Michelle Kosinski.

BERMAN: This morning, the battle for the Syrian city of Kobani has turned into a desperate street fight. The black ISIS flag is now flying over the hill on the eastern side of town. If the city falls, it means that ISIS would control a large area of territory from its self-declared capital of Raqqa, all the way to the Turkish border. Just been a tremendous amount of activity in the last few minutes in that city.

Our Phil Black is standing just over the Turkish border right now. He has been watching it all morning.

Phil, what's going on?

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.

It is increasingly dire for those Kurdish fighters in the city trying to defend against ISIS, as you say, the black ISIS flag over a building in the east. It is symbolic.

Since that event has taken place, the flag raised, we have been hearing about very intense street fighting as ISIS continues to advance in the city. We are hearing reports of heavy casualties on both sides. With ISIS still in greater numbers and stronger, more powerful and more advanced weaponry than the Kurdish fighters than that Kurdish fighters that are trying so hard to resist them.

But the Kurds are not without optimism. They believe they can still hold on for some time yet. They still have thousands of fighters. Interestingly, they say 40 percent of that number are women and they believe because it is their city, they know it's so well, they can use that to their advantage.

But they know they can't hold on indefinitely. They are appealing to the international coalition to help from the outside, particularly with airstrikes. And they say, if airstrikes can't happen in the inner city, they would like it on the outskirts.

And we think that's we've been witnessing here this morning. We've heard aircraft overhead and moments later, seen some very explosions around the outskirts of the city. Larger than the shelling we have been watching fly back and forth over the last couple of weeks or so.

So, the Kurdish fighters, not without optimism, they believe they can hold on, but not forever. They believe that in the event that ISIS does win, that everyone who remains in that city, they say will be massacred -- fighters and civilians, mostly it is fighters there. But they say, some civilians have remained and are still refusing to leave, John.

BERMAN: And, Phil, you're standing on the Turkish side of the border right now, with Turkish police and troops that actually moved you away from your position overseeing the city of Kobani a short time ago. What are the Turks doing other than just watching this fight?

BLACK: Well, they are not getting involved in any way. That's for sure. We have seen, certainly, a beefing up of military presence. There are more tanks, Turkish tanks in this region over the last few days than there had been over the last few weeks. We can see some of them in the distanced perched on hill tops.

But other than that, the most pronounced presence, as you say, is really crowd control. It is an arm of the Turkish military responsible for public order. They have been driving back crowds of concern, interested, and sometimes angry Kurdish people on this side of the border, liberally using tear gas and we have been caught up in the middle of that as well, as we were just a short time ago.

So, we moved back a bit further from the city than we have been previously. That's because that Turkish military presence is not letting anyone that close to the border anymore, John.

BERMAN: All right. Very interesting.

As we say, this is developing as we speak this morning. We'll check back in with you in a little bit. Thanks, Phil.

ROMANS: All right. Breaking news, from the battle against ISIS in Iraq at this hour. World from the northern Iraq city of Tal Afar that 29 suspected ISIS militants have been killed, 29. Health officials there say the hospital -- they received their bodies this morning. The officials say most of the ISIS fighters were killed by coalition air strikes.

BERMAN: A Chicago teen stands charged with trying to join ISIS. The FBI arrested Mohammed Hamzah Kahn at O'Hare International Airport on Saturday. Officials say the 19-year-old had bought a round trip ticket to Istanbul. They also say Kahn also left behind a three-page note for his parents writing that he was leaving the United States and on the way to join ISIS. In the note, he also allegedly invited his parents to join him, warning them not to tell anyone about his travel plans.

A momentous non-action from the Supreme Court. Same sex couples can now marry in five more states. That is because the Supreme Court decided not to weigh in again on the issue of same sex marriage from appeals for now. This move cleared the path for gay couples to legally wed in Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin, Indiana and Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLP)

MARK HERRING, VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Today's decision will change the lives of thousands of loving couples, their children and their families in a positive and transformative way. The rights and privileges of marriage, which are guaranteed to us by the United States Constitution, are now available to all loving, committed couples in Virginia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So, what the Supreme Court essentially did not do, it said it's not going to get involved to decide whether there is a federal national right to same-sex marriage. It is going to leave it to the states for now. The unexpected non-action by the justices, it could allow if the appeals courts rule the way people expect them to, gay couples to marry, in a total of about 30 states.

ROMANS: So, by not doing something, is it making a statement? Or would it make more of a statement to actually do something? BERMAN: It will make more of a statement to actually do something.

By not doing it, they are allowing things to stand. It makes it almost impossible to rollback one day. The notion that five years from now, they can decide to unwed all the people who married in 30 states, that is hard to imagine.

ROMANS: Is this the court trying to not get ahead of public sentiment?

BERMAN: That's exactly what some people suspect they're trying to do, they're trying to let people come to the conclusion for themselves and not try to, as you say, get out ahead of what people think. That's happened in the '70s in Roe versus Wade.

ROMANS: Roe v. Wade. Yes. All right. Interesting.

Eleven minutes past the hour. Time for an EARLY START on your money.

European markets open lower. Asian stocks closed the day mixed. Really choppy out there. I mean, stocks here in the United States, I mean, they are likely to close or open lower after the drop yesterday.

Also, the 2008 bailout of insurance giant AIG, this was designed as a punishment. That's what the former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson told a U.S. court Monday. Paulson testifying in a high profile suit brought by the former CEO of AIG, Hank Greenberg, he's suing the government.

The U.S. took an 80 percent stake in the company when it bailed out AIG for $182 billion. Greenberg claims this action shortchanged shareholders. He's going to court over it.

Paulson is just the first in the line of star witnesses scheduled to defend the government's action this week, including Paulson's successor Tim Geithner. And the former Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke. We will relive history in court this week.

BERMAN: Painful history.

ROMANS: Yes.

BERMAN: All right. Let's get an early look at the forecast. Indra Petersons is here with that.

ROMANS: Good morning.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.

Still seeing a lot of activity in the northeast. We are seeing more of the scattered showers. Notice what is going on in the Southwest. We are still talking about what is tropical Simon. That moisture is making its way in the Southwest. So, again, we will have the concern for more flooding into the region.

It is one side of the equation. Anywhere you see the jet stream here, we're talking about a lot of unsettled weather. So, head's up, especially in towards the Northeast today. We're going to be looking at some scattered showers, but especially into the overnight hours tonight, notice all of the elements coming together perfectly.

We have the threat for severe weather. Not what you want to see, but New York City right in the line of fire. Coming in is Atlantic City, also anywhere really on through Long Island. We're going to be looking for this threat. So, thunderstorms and even the threat there for strong or strong winds and large hail out there.

Very easy to see Mississippi Valley, though, still talking about some heavy rain, and even a lot of lighting there, so a lot of activity really expected to continue there throughout the day. Temperatures tonight, well, there you go, the cold air perfectly split, staying to the north, and if you are down to the south, that's where you're going to be seeing the warm temperatures. Easy to see when you look at your highs, where it's cool, where it's warm, matches that exact same pattern. But Northeast today is going to get a little wild out there overnight.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks for that, Indra.

PETERSONS: Yes.

BERMAN: Pro-democracy activists and government facing off in Hong Kong. But, could the end be near? A sudden change in tone sweeping the streets. We'll take you live to those streets, next.

ROMANS: And coming up on EARLY START: another high profile problem for the Secret Service. We will have details of that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: This morning in Hong Kong, pro-democracy activists and government officials have agreed to several rounds of talks. This is a significant change in tone for the government which deemed the student protest illegal just last week. Question now is, will this framework for talks end the longer standing standoff?

Andrew Stevens is in Hong Kong with the very latest.

Good morning, Andrew.

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.

Difficult to say whether this is the beginning of the end here. Certainly, as you say, a major step forward compared with last week where the Hong Kong government was saying the occupation of Hong Kong is absolutely illegal and we won't be prepared to listen to the students. They are now saying they will listen to the students. They had talks about talks they resolve the issues that they are going to talk about. Now, the hard negotiations begin.

But at least publicly, John, neither side is giving an inch of ground. They're both speaking to their pre-stated positions, which is the students want the resignation of the leader here, and they want changes to the democratic election process for 2017 for the next leader of Hong Kong. And the government will say it will go through with what it already decided to do. So, we don't know what's going on.

What I can tell you around here at the moment, there has been a thinning out of the number of protesters coming to the main protest site in the central business district. But don't say we can't write that off. There are still 3,000 people down here. There are other protest sites in the city, which are still occupied as well.

So, the students certainly at this stage, although the negotiations are going on, they are digging in here and showing no sign of abandoning these protest sites.

BERMAN: But no, not the mobs that we saw last week with you, Andrew.

All right. Andrew Stevens for us on the streets of Hong Kong -- thank so much.

ROMANS: But another potential embarrassment for the Secret Service. "The Washington Examiner" reports a top ranking agent who worked on President Obama's presidential protective detail had his gun stolen from his car at his home in 2009 and was never disciplined. In fact, he was reportedly promoted. The Secret Service has had high profile cases of stolen or misplaced guns in the last few years.

BERMAN: Up next, some Monday night football action. Seahawks in Washington to take on the Redskins. Super Bowl winning quarterback Russell Wilson setting a career record, but not for passing.

Laura Rutledge with all the details in the "Bleacher Report", next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Quarterback Russell Wilson led the defending champs Seahawks to yet another Monday night win. That is nine in a row for Seattle on Monday night. Not bad.

Laura Rutledge with more in the "Bleacher Report".

Good morning, Laura.

LAURA RUTLEDGE, BLEACHER REPORT: Good morning, John and Christine.

Yes, it was the Redskins turn last night to feel the wrath of the defending Super Bowl champs. And Russell Wilson used his speed to run wild over Washington all game. The Redskins just couldn't seem to wrap up Wilson when they needed to. He was so elusive. He rushed for a career high 122 yards, including a touchdown on the ground.

Wilson wasn't shy about passing a ball. He finished with three touchdowns total. So, if you had him on your fantasy football team, you are probably pretty happy this morning after checking your team's score.

To playoff baseball. Nationals trying to stave off elimination. Play of the game, Giants pitcher Madison Baumgartner feels the bunt, trying to throw to third, but misses badly, it rolled all the way down to left field line. But runner scored, ending Baumgartner's amazing 22 inning scoreless streak. Top of the night, Harper puts the cherry on top with his second home run of the series. And the Nationals live to play another game. Giants lead the series, 2-1.

Now, the Cardinals acquired pitcher John Lackey from the Red Sox at the trade deadline for one reason, he tends to show up in the post- season when it counts. Last night was no different with Lackey striking out dodger after dodger, going seven-inning strong. And then, Colton Long with the timely two-run homer in the seventh for the Cardinals. St. Louis takes a 2-1 series lead, and can seal the deal tonight at home.

All right. Now to my favorite story of the day. The Utah Jazz signed 5-year-old J.P. Gibson to a one-day contract yesterday. J.P. has been diagnosed with leukemia. So, the Jazz invited he and his family to their annual white and blue scrimmage. J.P. entered the game in the third quarter and stole the show.

Check out the handles on the kid. He flashes through the defenders, making Jazz players look silly. Gets a boost at rim and puts down the slam.

BERMAN: Oh!

RUTLEDGE: What a great moment. I watched this video a thousand times so far this morning.

John and Christine, I love how he just acts like a natural out there. Looks like he was born to do this. He said, yes, no big deal. I'm out on an NBA hardwood court.

BERMAN: I threw it down. Sure, I can dunk.

ROMANS: Confident little guy. Wish him the best of luck. So -- look at him.

BERMAN: I love him. Love the Jazz for doing that.

ROMANS: So cute. All right. Thanks, Laura.

RUTLEDGE: Thanks.

BERMAN: All right. Coming up for us, Ebola in the United States. What progress has been made in the fight against the deadly virus and the steps the government wants to take to keep you safe. That's right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: New hope for the Dallas patient stricken with Ebola as a new case of Ebola in Spain surfaces. The first known case caught outside West Africa. This terrifying development, coming up.

ROMANS: An American teen charged with trying to join ISIS, spelling out his intentions in a three-page letter. The details of his plans revealed.

Also, ISIS pushing for a land grab of Kobani. We are live in the region.

BERMAN: And harsh words for President Obama coming from one of his own. Leon Panetta, what the former CIA chief and former secretary says the president has done wrong in the fight against ISIS.